Design an Architectural Getaway
One by one, a flock of progressive, rule-breaking architects found their way to Silver Lake in the 1920s and ’30s, where they transformed the community with their vision of how to live - Modernism, a movement that rejected tradition and embraced experimentation.
Today, their names still ring loudly in the halls of architecture - Richard Neutra, R. M. Schindler, Lloyd Wright, Jr., Gregory Ain and John Lautner. Most of their sleek, experimental creations still dot the Silver Lake landscape, just 15 minutes northeast of Downtown Los Angeles.
For devotees of a true minimalist aesthetic, this is the perfect trip to the past.
Design a self-guided tour of the Modernist homes and apartment buildings of Silver Lake or recruit an expert guide to add some fascinating history (and a bit of gossip) to one of L.A.’s chief claims to architectural fame.
“Los Angeles was growing by leaps and bounds in the 1920s,” says Laura Massino Smith, an architectural historian and guidebook author who offers an insider perspective to the mid-century modern scene through her company, Architecture Tours L.A.
The architects from that period were drawn to Silver Lake’s spirited artistic nature.
By 1926, the first Walt Disney animation studio had opened on Silver Lake’s Hyperion Boulevard. Other moviemakers joined the neighborhood: Mack Sennett, Mixville and Edendale studios. Their powerful presence brought animators, actors, writers, set designers and musicians to Silver Lake.
“It has always been a hotbed of creativity,” Massino Smith says.
Winding through the hilly streets, spot Modernism’s major characteristics, including flat roofs, lack of ornamentation, geometric shapes and lots and lots of glass - the better to produce an easy harmony of indoors and outdoors.
“Schindler and Neutra, both natives of Vienna, Austria, were idealistic about bringing Modernism here, a place they could be really different,” adds Massino Smith. “I think they thought they could change the world. And they did.”
On Massino Smith’s driving tour (exterior only - the homes are occupied), there will be six homes by Schindler, including the McAlmon House, considered one of his most sculptural works, and 11 by Neutra, such as the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences, a National Historic Landmark. The tour also includes the work of other architects like Ain, an early proponent of affordable housing.
The Neutra VDL Studio and Residences - now owned by Cal Poly Pomona - offers a 30-minute tour Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., by reservation only. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. Visit neutra-vdl.org for more information.
Be sure to stop by the split-level Silver Lake Branch Library at 2111 Glendale Blvd. While it may not date from Modernism’s heyday, its contemporary design “delivers on serious architectural impact nonetheless,” said The Architects’ Newspaper when the branch debuted in 2009. (Bonus: The Library sits next to one of Neutra’s office buildings.)
Take a Trip Downtown
After sampling Silver Lake, take a side trip 15 minutes away for a few architectural gems in downtown L.A. (DTLA). DTLA is an eclectic mix of eras and attitudes: Art Deco meets Postmodernism meets Deconstructivism.
Among the highlights:
• Disney Hall: With its soaring stainless-steel panels, the symphony hall by Frank Gehry is lauded for its deconstructed, asymmetrical forms. Free self-guided tours are available most days from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., no reservations needed. 111 S. Grand Ave.
• Bradbury Building: Opened in 1893, the oldest commercial building in downtown L.A. features Romanesque Revival elements, ornate ironwork and Mexican tiles. 304 S. Broadway.
• Los Angeles Central Public Library: Completed in 1926, the last work of American architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue is primarily Art Deco. 630 W. 5th St.
• Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA): Arata Isozaki designed a sandstone-clad, sunken courtyard, in contrast with surrounding high-rise towers. 250 S. Grand Ave.
• The Broad: The art museum’s “veil-and-vault” design features a lattice-like veil on the outside, “protecting” the vault (interior exhibition space). 221 S. Grand Ave.
• Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels: Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Rafael Moneo called on Postmodern ideas to create a series of acute and obtuse angles while avoiding right angles. 555 W. Temple St.
Set It Up
Architecture Tours L.A.: Daily by reservation, minimum of two people, maximum of five. The Silver Lake tour lasts about 2½ to 3 hours and costs $80 per person. architecturetoursla.com
Artchitect Tours: Guided tours led by architects. Contact info@artchitectours.com for a quote. artchitectours.com
L.A. Conservancy: The nonprofit offers a series of DTLA tours. $18 for members, $25 for nonmembers. LAconservancy.orgake a deep dive into mid-century modern experimentation
